Cold - A McRoll in the REAL World Story
by Mari217
Summary: Catherine happens across a decades old case and is compelled to look further.


_Sammy and Ilna, I hope you realize how much it means that you and the REAL World have been a constant source of joy in a sea of change. You make me laugh every day. Xoxox for that, and so much more._

 _#REALMcRollers, we're so grateful to you, the best readers in the world! Thank you. And rest assured, no matter what, Steve & Catherine will ALWAYS be safe with us!_

 _Hugs!_

* * *

 **Cold**

 **HPD**

Catherine stopped chatting with Officer Blake who'd asked her opinion on ROTC for his son, when a couple a bit older than her parents brushed past her.

"I'm sorry, Honey, please excuse us." The woman smiled wanly.

"No problem, Ma'am," Catherine replied. She noticed the couple walked with purpose, like they were familiar with the layout of HPD as they approached Detective Sergeant Taylor Robinson's desk.

Intrigued, she asked Blake, "Do you know who they are?"

Blake regarded the tall, salt and pepper haired man and his blonde, ponytailed wife. "They're here a couple of times a year to see if there's anything new on a murder investigation."

Catherine knew it wasn't unusual for victims' families to follow the department's progress on a loved one's case. It often helped them regain some sense of purpose and balance. She turned back to Blake. "When was the murder? Did Five-0 get involved?"

He shook his head. "Ninety four."

That made her look at the couple again. They were nodding with resigned expressions, as they each shook Detective Robinson's hand in turn.

"They've been coming in person to follow up since 19 _94?"_

"Yeah, it's a cold case. I don't know much more, Lieutenant. I wasn't here back then."

"Of course. Sorry. Thanks." She gathered her things to go back to HQ but when the couple passed her again, the woman gently touched her arm. "Sorry again about bumping into you, Dear." Her eyes flicked to Catherine's badge and sidearm. "Oh, I mean Detective."

"No problem, really. Lieutenant Catherine Rollins." She offered her hand, and the woman shook it with a surprisingly firm grip.

"You be _safe_ , Lieutenant Catherine Rollins." She smiled gently, linked her fingers with her husband's, and the couple left the station.

Catherine didn't move for a few seconds. When she did, instead of turning toward the exit, she texted Steve.

' _I'll be another half hour unless you need me back sooner'._

When he responded, ' _We're good._ _Take your time',_ she walked over to Robinson's desk.

"Excuse me, Detective."

Taylor Robinson was unwrapping a sandwich when he looked up and nodded. "What can I do for Five-0, Lieutenant?" They'd met in passing a few times, and Catherine knew from Danny that Robinson was a good cop. And one of the few who hadn't treated him badly when he'd moved from Newark to HPD.

She waved a hand. "I don't want to interrupt your lunch."

Robinson grimaced and pushed his chair away from the desk. "Please do. It's some kind of homemade nut butter my daughter thinks will give me less joint pain. Tastes like crap and it works..." He smirked. "If I chase it down with three Advil."

"Looks like she worries about you." Catherine smiled. He reminded her of Danny. His desk featured a _Happy 50th Birthday, Daddy!_ card and a photo of a pretty girl in a Kukui High cap and gown hugging her smiling parents.

"Yeah." His eyes lit. "Tamika's definitely the best thing I ever did. But you didn't come by to talk about my daugher. What's up?"

"The couple that just left. Can you tell me anything about their case?"

"Ahh." His smile dimmed. "The Cordell case. Parents come in twice a year like clockwork. The original detectives on the case are both retired. Olinski and Kapule. I was Kapule's last partner, and he asked me to be their contact when he left. They check in every August and February. Never missed once. Not in twenty-one years. I only wish one of these times I'd have something to tell 'em."

"Who was the victim?" Catherine asked.

Robinson opened a file on his desk. He'd clearly pulled it in anticipation of the Cordell's visit. He opened it to a school photo, and Catherine winced. Everyone hated cases involving kids.

"Their daughter, Ashley Cordell. Found murdered in the family backyard in 1994."

"May I?" At Robinson's nod, Catherine extracted the photo and data sheet and read the birth and death dates. "Can I get a copy of the case file?"

Robinson smiled. "Sign the authorization, and I'll email you copies today." He regarded Catherine for a few seconds. "Why?"

She shrugged. "Not sure, really, just had a thought. Thanks." She turned to go.

"I hope you find something, Lieutenant." Robinson glanced at the photo of his daughter. "Anything else you need, let me know."

As Catherine went to fill out the paperwork to gain access, and Detective Taylor Robinson watched her with a curious look as he went back to his sandwich, thinking, 'good luck.'

* * *

 **7:00 p.m.**

Catherine opened the front door and knelt to greet Cammie with a hug. She'd been sent on an investigation and hadn't made it back to HQ before Steve had been called out on a separate case. Glancing up to where he was sitting on the sofa, her smile grew.

"Hey. Hungry?" He nodded to the sandwiches and beer on the coffee table with a smile. He'd put the food out but hadn't started eating. "I got roast beef and turkey."

"Perfect, I skipped lunch." She moved to join him, kissing him briefly as she sat. "You didn't have to wait."

"Rather eat with you." He shrugged. "When you texted you'd be home by seven, I stopped for sandwiches. I just got home ten after six." He handed her a beer. "What came up at HPD that you wanted to work on?"

She grinned around a bite of sandwich. "Hmmm. This is awesome, thank you. I saw a cold case today I want to look into. We're not crazy busy, so ..."

"When you forget to eat, you're onto something. Want help?" He tore a small piece of turkey off his sandwich and said, "Cammie, circle." The dog followed the direction of his gesture and turned before sitting, and Steve's face split into a proud grin. "Yes! Good job." He fed her the treat.

"I need to think on some of the details overnight, but I have a flow chart ... I was going to ask for your input in the morning." Catherine put down her sandwich and ruffled Cammie's fur before kissing the dog's forehead.

"Whenever you're ready." Steve nodded and their conversation turned to other things.

/

Later, as she finished eating and tossed her napkin into the takeout bag at Steve's feet, Catherine's mind wandered back to the cold case, and she mused, "Maybe I'll ask the team to weigh in if we decide I'm onto something?"

"Absolutely." He pulled her close and leaned in to kiss her temple. "Wanna give me the basics while we clean up?"

She stood and gathered the remains of their dinner, and he followed suit. As they walked into the kitchen, she said, "Sixteen-year-old girl found murdered in the family backyard."

Steve grimaced. "When?"

"1994." Catherine watched his eyes cloud at the connection.

"Born in seventy eight."

"Yeah." Catherine shook her head slowly, sadness for the girl who shared her birth year in her tone.

"Parents cleared?" Steve knew, unfortunately, that they'd have been the first suspects. At Catherine's nod, he ran a hand over her hip and around her waist.

"I'll fill you in on the rest tomorrow, after I review what I found one more time. Let me change real quick. Wanna join us on a run?"

Steve agreed with a smile. "A run with the two cutest girls on Oahu? Try and stop me." He grabbed Cammie's leash from the peg. Already in shorts and a tank, he added, "Grab my shoes when you're upstairs?" As Catherine turned to go, he reached for her hand and tugged her back into his embrace, holding her for a few seconds.

She knew he was happy to join her and Cammie anytime, but she was especially glad to have him come along tonight. She wanted to clear her head after several hours reviewing the details of the unsolved murder of a teen. "Love you." She placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Be down in five."

* * *

When Steve stirred the next morning, Catherine's side of the bed was already empty. He stretched slowly and rose, padding down to the kitchen.

He found her sitting at the table. A coffee mug that read, _Puppy Love_ and featured a photo of Cammie was at her elbow, and she absently swung the bare foot that dangled from her chair as she wrapped up a call. "Thanks, Detective Kapule ... Sorry, Kappy... I'm going to talk to Commander McGarrett about reinvestigating this morning." She smiled. "I definitely will. And I'll get back to you either way. Thank you again."

"You're at it early." His nod indicated her tablet, pad of notes and pen.

"Didn't wanna wake you." She tilted her face to accept a kiss. "Coffee's made."

He ran a thumb along her jaw and kissed her again. "Was that _Ben_ Kapule?"

She tucked her hair behind an ear. "Yeah. He's retired to Celebration, Florida. Enjoying his grandkids. He asked about you. Wanted to know if little Steve McGarrett was as good a cop as his dad."

Steve smiled. "I remember the name. He was a few years younger than my father. Did you tell him we're reopening the case?"

"Yeah, there's enough here that I think we should." Catherine took a bite of fruit salad and held out a forkful of mango, which Steve ate with a grin. "I told him you were, by the way."

At his inquiring look, she clarified, "As good a cop."

His eyes lit with love and gratitude, and she returned his soft kiss before Steve turned his attention to the tablet. "So, let's see what you've got." He sat close, reached for the carafe and mug, and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Here." She pushed the tablet towards him. "This seemed hinky last night. Now I'm sure it's gotta be revisited."

He leaned in. "What's the story with him?"

Catherine ran down what she'd found, focusing on a schoolmate of Ashley's named Kenny Constantine. He'd been interviewed at first and was designated as a fellow student who could add insight into Ashley's schedule, then as person of interest, then was abruptly cleared and never appeared in the investigation again.

"That's definitely off ..." Steve noted, shaking his head. "He offered to take a polygraph out of left field?"

"Exactly. Look here. He was approached shortly afterwards by Detective Kapule and refused to cooperate." Catherine tapped the pencil she was holding on the table. "Kapule said he clammed up and eventually the case went cold. Everyone assumed an apprehended sex offender was the killer. I don't buy it. It was never proven. This guy was involved, Steve. I feel it."

"He's still at the same address," Steve noted. "Let's go see what he knows. You've got something here, Cath." He pushed away from the table and stood. Catherine was following as he headed upstairs.

* * *

Arriving back at HQ hours later, Catherine filled Danny in on the shockingly fast confession and arrest of Kenny Constantine.

"He killed that poor kid to cover his ass? And she wasn't even the right target?" Danny's eyes blazed.

Catherine nodded sadly. "Apparently Ashley's cousin Candace was an unwitting witness to a drug deal between Kenny and a local dealer named Ramon. She didn't even realize what she'd seen, but Kenny didn't know that."

Steve came up beside her and added, "He was interviewed in ninety four as a classmate and acquaintance, and he said he hadn't seen Ashley since the school rally two days before the murder. Then offered, unsolicited, to take a polygraph."

Catherine continued, "What actually happened, was Kenny thought Candace could blow his perfect student image, connect him to Ramon. Bam, Ivy League scholarship gone. Following his mom into medical school, gone."

Steve ran a hand across his eyes. "He panicked, followed Candace to her aunt and uncle's house, who were Ashley's parents, and waited outside for her."

Catherine nodded, "But later that night, instead of Candace, Ashley came out. The girls looked enough alike. Especially in the dark to a guy already freaking out." Catherine's eyes were mournful. "He killed the wrong girl, ran, and when he saw Candace again at school it dawned on him what he'd done. When she never fingered him, he knew she'd never even realized what she'd seen. He never made it to medical school anyway, he's a strung out junkie living with an older brother who felt sorry for him in the former family home."

"And Ashley's parents had no closure for twenty plus years." Danny's voice dripped with disgust and sadness.

"Until now." Steve placed a hand on Catherine's shoulder and squeezed gently.

"Such a waste." Catherine shook her head. "She'd be our age …"

"How was it he was never investigated further?" Danny asked.

Steve grimaced in disgust. "Two days after Ashley's murder, a serial sexual predator named Carmen Burns was caught a mile and a half from the Cordell's home," he explained. "Burns' victims ranged from mid to late teens, and Ashley fit the victim profile. He got 30 years, but never confessed to the Cordell murder. He became the focus of the case from the minute he was caught. The original detectives were told to move on, although neither was convinced he'd done it and kept copies of the case file. Neither were the Cordells, but Constantine's mother was a prestigious physician and eyes turned elsewhere."

"He confessed fast." Danny glanced between Steve and Catherine. "Guessing he broke under the _strain_?"

"That and Catherine was very persuasive." Steve looked on proudly as Danny gave her a small smile.

"You did a good thing, Cath. The Cordells can go to sleep tonight knowing the piece of crap that killed their daughter is finally gonna pay. "

She patted his shoulder gratefully as she moved toward her office.

* * *

 **That evening**

Catherine was sitting on the bed, reviewing her notes for the P.A. when her phone buzzed. Seeing 'Dad' on the caller I.D. brought a smile to her lips. "Hi."

"Hi, Honey. Am I getting you at a bad time?"

"No." She moved the tablet aside and straightened. "I could use the break. I'm about done, anyway."

"Everything alright?"

The smile that formed at hearing his voice broadened. He could always read her. "Yeah. Just a long week and it's only Tuesday, ya know?"

"Can you discuss it? I mean, if you want to."

"It's a long story."

"I'm retired, remember?"

That made her chuckle. "I'm gonna Skype you then, okay?"

"Perfect," Joseph told her. "Talk to you in a few.'

A minute later, Joseph Rollins' smiling face filled the screen of her tablet.

"Hello again," Catherine greeted him.

"You're sure you have time, Honey? If you're on a case ..."

"No, Dad. It's actually a cold case I'd been looking into. We got a confession today. Surprisingly fast. I'd like to … run some thoughts by you, actually." She'd always valued her parents' opinions and being an adult had reinforced her respect for them.

"Of course. I didn't realize Five-0 handled cold cases."

"We don't, normally. I was working it on my off time ..."

"Then it's important to you." Joseph's eyes caught his daughter's, and even on a screen, from five thousand miles away, she felt his support and concern. "Tell me."

Catherine began to fill him in.

"So you decided to look into the murder after meeting Ashley Cordell's parents?"

She nodded. "Encountered them, really, we didn't technically meet. I just saw them and wanted to know about the case. Once I heard more, I decided I had to look into it. I don't know why, exactly, maybe because they still go to HPD after all these years. Maybe ..." Catherine looked away and shook her head. "Never mind."

When she looked up, her father's eyes held hers. Joseph's voice was low and calm, like he was telling a bedtime story to the little girl his daughter used to be. "Maybe because you know your mother and I would have done the same thing?" She saw his conviction as he added, "For as long as we were alive."

Catherine nodded again and whispered, "How'd you ...?"

"Because I know _you,_ Catherine. And I know what a compassionate, just person my daughter is."

"Ashley missed her whole life." Catherine bent to kiss Cammie who'd sensed her mood and put her paws up on the bed. "She'd have turned 37 this year."

"Same as you." She saw the flash of sadness in his eyes for another father's devastating loss.

She sighed. "At sixteen I hadn't been accepted into the Academy; hadn't met Steve; the best parts of my life hadn't happened yet." She took a breath and shook herself. "I need to talk to Ashley's parents tomorrow, but I'm going to be opening old wounds."

Joseph smiled softly. "You did a wonderful thing, Sweetheart. Whether this guy gets life or not, you're showing Ashley's parents someone cared. I know they'll want to talk to you."

Catherine's smile was grateful. "Thank you."

"Anytime, Sweetheart. Call me tomorrow, okay?"

"I will." Her eyes flicked to the doorway, as Steve entered the room. He motioned to ask if she wanted a minute, but she waved him in. "I'm gonna spend another few minutes then get back to it tomorrow." She blew a kiss at the screen. "I love you. Tell Mom and Gram I love them. Smokey, too."

"I love you." Joseph told her, adding, "Hi Steve," although he wasn't in range of the tablet. "Catherine, Honey, get some sleep."

Cammie snuggled closer to Catherine and appeared onscreen as Steve joined them in frame with a wave and 'Hello' of his own.

"Woof!"

"Goodnight to you, too, Cammie," Joseph signed off with an affectionate smile.

* * *

 **Next afternoon**

 **Cordell residence**

When Ashley's parents opened the door, Catherine and Steve greeted them quietly, "Ma'am, Sir? I'm Lieutenant ..."

"Rollins, yes, I bumped into you at police headquarters. What can we do for you?" Mrs. Cordell stepped aside and gestured Catherine into her home. "Commander McGarrett." She offered her hand. "I've seen you on the news," she said by way of explaining as he followed Catherine inside.

"What brings Five-0 to us, Commander, Lieutenant?" Mr. Cordell asked as his hand settled protectively on his wife's shoulder.

"There's been a development in Ashley's case," Steve said. "Lieutenant Rollins will fill you in. She looked into it after seeing you at HPD and ran down some scenarios."

"Development?" Mr. Cordell looked skeptical. "Please, sit. Go ahead, Lieutenant."

The Cordells shared a sofa, their hands finding each other's, while Catherine sat on a matching chair across from the couple. Steve moved behind Catherine, but remained on his feet while she leaned forward and began with the statement that brought a soft gasp from Mrs. Cordell's lips, "Actually, Ma'am, there's been an arrest ..."

Forty-five minutes later, the Cordells walked Catherine and Steve to the door, repeatedly thanking her, which she acknowledged briefly before promising to be in touch before the sentencing. As Catherine and Steve made their way outside, Mrs. Cordell touched Steve's arm and he turned back to face her fully as Catherine continued on toward the truck.

"Ma'am?" he asked.

The grateful woman spoke softly, but Steve could see the sincerity in her eyes. "That's a very special lady," She nodded as Catherine entered the passenger's seat of the truck which was parked several yards away. "She looked into Ashley's case out of pure compassion." Before Steve had the chance to answer, she continued, "You know, Commander, our daughter was a brilliant, focused girl. Always volunteering to help others. She was looking at Princeton and Duke, too. If my Ashley had been given the chance to grow up," her breath caught before she continued. 'If she grew up ... I'd like to think she'd have been like Catherine."

Steve glanced at the woman's hand where it still rested on his forearm and patted it gently. He nodded his thanks and went to join Catherine for the ride home.

* * *

 _End. Thanks for reading._

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